Geobge sikes



(No Model.)

, G. SIKES.

Pruit-Drier.

No. 228,787. Patented June 15,1880.

Witnesses Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE SIKES, OF NORTH EVANS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'OF ONE-BALF OF HIS RIGHT TO WILLIAM SIKES, OF SAME PLACE.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,787, dated June 15, 1880. Application filed March s, 1880, (No model.)

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SIKES, of North Evans, in the county of Eric and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on a Fruit, &c., Drier; and l do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to fruit, &c., driers and it consists in the peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claim.

The object of my present invention is the production of an apparatus for drying fruit, lumber, or similar articles or substances that shall be simple in construction and perform its functions with the smallest expenditure of fuel.

Heretofore fruit, &c., driers have been made of a rectangular or other shaped chamber sorbed by the layer or layers above, and the articles on the upper shelves would therefore not dry until those on the lower shelves were perfectly dry. This method of drying is thereby made expensive and otherwise objectionable; and to remove these difficulties I have inaugurated a series of experiments, by which I have discvered that if a hot pipe or other heat-radiating medium were introduced in the middle of the drying-chamber, traversing the same vertically, and means for ventilation through the roof of the chamber provided, a strong current of hot air would be created in the center of the drying-chamber, and thus cause the steam, &c., rising from the crates or racks to pass horizontally toward the heat-radiating medium, and thereby prevent the moisture from being absorbed by the upper layers of the articles to be dried.

In the common driers, as is well known, the drying proceeds from the bottom upward, owing, as already stated, to the absorption of moisture by the upper layers. In my drier the reverse takes place, the dryiug proceeding from the top downward, owing to the fact that the moisture being drawn toward the center of the drying-chamber, the latter is hotter in its upper than in its lower part, because the warmer air rises, so that there is always a (lifference of ten or more degrees of heat in said chamber. That this principle is in full accord with natures laws is plain, and that a large saving of fuel is the result when the moisture is not over and over evaporated is perfectly obvious.

In order to carry out my invention, I construct my drying-chamber as shown in the drawings already mentioned, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of my said drying apparatus, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical seotional elevation.

In these drawings, the letter A represents a rectangular structure, preferably carried out in brick-work. Upon this foundation I ereot four uprights or pillars, B, and unite them at their upper end by means of cross-beams D andD,respectively. Withinthespace bounded by these nprights I also provide posts E, and furnish them, as well as the pillars B, with cross-timbers F. This structure I inclose with matched boards or other sides G and a roof, H, leaving doors I in the front for obtaining access to the interior of the structure.

Upon the cross timbers I place racks J, upon which, in turn, the articles are packed. Centrally within the dryingchamber I place a stove or furxace, or other heat-radiating medium, M, taking care to leave a pipe, N, of sufficient diameter to traverse the said chamber vertically in its center.

In the central part of the roof I leave an opening materially larger than the size of the pipe N, to serve a ventilator, covering said opening with a perf0rated cone, P, on the out side of the building.

It will now be readily observed that by thus oonstructing my drier I have, as it were, a chamber, S, in the center and two compartments, T T, on the sides.

' It will be further observed that if heat is admitted to the interior there will be-produced two cui rents of air-one by the heat-producing medium M, and the other by the heat-radiating pipe N. The heat thrown off by the former will be diftused within the entire chamber, while that of the latter will cause a draft toward the medium N and in the chamber upward.

The articles to be dried being placed upon the racks J, the moisture rising therefrom is 'drawn toward the pipe Nand out of the building through the ventilator P, without first hav" ing to pass through all the various layers of the substance, &;c., drying above. The necessary consequenceis, that dryin g proceeds more rapidly, and thereby saves considerable in fuel, and, which is of still moreimportance, increases the capacity of the apparatus. This latter feature is an allimportant one, when the fact is borne in mind that the drying of fruit, for instance, must be proceeded with when the crop is,rpe, and cannot be delayed, and thattherefore any device having for its object an increase of the capacity of an existing structure must be of considerable moment to the farming community.

As a matter of course, other articles or substances-such as wood, grain, sand, &c.can be as perfectly acted upon in my drier as fruit. Nor is it necessary that direct heat Should be employed, since steam of sufficient temperature will accomplish as good, ifnot better, results as direct heat. because its temperature can be better regulated to a uniform degree. So may the entire structure be built of iron, stone, or other material, without changing the nature of my invention.

The racks I employ are of peculiar construction, and consist of two longitudinal rails, LL, and two end rails, J J. Of these rails I groove those marked L, and place therein slats K. In making up these racks I first construct the rectangular frames, securing the rails at their meeting ends by screws, &c., and then place the slats into the grooves, which can be readily accomplished byholdin g them obliquely to the sides, and, after having inserted them into said grooves, adjusting them into proper position. Such a rack can be cheaply made by any farmer, and possesses the advantage that in case of fracture of any member it can be replaced at a moments time and at a nominal cost.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States- In a fruit-drier having three chambers, the central one of which is the heatin g and those on the sides the drying chambers, the combination, with said heating-chamber, of a furnace occupying the entire lower arca of said heating-chamber and having a large heat radiating pipe, N, passing through the center of said chamber0ut of the root, the dryingcham bers provided each with a series of racks, and the roof H, having centrally a large open ing covered by a perforated cone, P, whereby a current of h eated air is caused to pass horizontally between said racks toward the central heat-radiator, N, and upward in the heating-chamber, substantially in the manner as and for the object specified.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE SIKES.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, HA1TIE L. WALKER. 

